Okay, in this thread I would like to discuss different 'scenarios' where a book has to be chosen. That's a terrible explanation but I'll try to clarify everything as I go.
So what I'm looking for is suggestions/nominations of a book that you think best suits the scenario (I'll get to an example in a bit) and it is your job to try and sell the book to everyone. Now depending how this all goes, we could vote on the book to be selected at the end, but of course there would have to be enough people and suggestions. So right now I want 'nominations'.
An example would be (a terrible one, and the one I will actually ask in a second should be better and more interesting) "A person has never read any Isobelle Carmody books before, which one do you make them read first?" And then you suggest, with reasons why, a particular book. After a while, we can vote (if we want) and then move on to a different topic (that's why the title of this thread is left open).
So the first question/scenario I want to ask everyone (hopefully it is interesting enough to get some good answers).
A decision has been made by the leaders of the world, that there are too many books. They've had enough with libraries, authors and readers, and are banning all books, except one. They've decided to ask the public, which book should be the only book left on the planet for everyone to read? All other books will be destroyed, so we need to choose wisely. Remember you have to convince everyone else, otherwise your book will be destroyed.
I await your suggestions eagerly!
Are we allowed to nominate a series for this one? Or just one book?
I think a series is acceptable, because really they can just be seen as 'one giant book' split into little editions. So yes a series is acceptable.
That's really difficult! Can I covertly convert them all to e-books, so the burning isn't a problem? :P
Is non-fiction safe, or is that going too? Because for all that I love fiction, I think history is really important plus I wouldn't want to lose all of our scientific, medical etc knowledge!
[act]suddenly sees that I did not think this through enough, and can see that this is an almost impossible question to answer, but wants to find out everyone's most treasured books[/act]
I guess you could secretly convert them, and have an illegal supply of books. So no, ebooks are just as 'evil' as real books!
Getting to the non-fiction, it is safe. The governments don't want to lose the knowledge anymore than we do, they just want to stop people reading and escaping the real world to fictional book worlds.
Am I allowed to nominate OberChron for this one? May be a simple question, but I just want to make sure it's all good.
Of course you are, I did suspect that that would be a nomination (why else would we really be here, if we did not love Isobelle Carmody?)
Well that is my nomination. An obvious choice but someone had to choose it :D
A nomination, gladly accepted.
To be honest, I'm going to nominate a series, which I think the world cannot go without. Harry Potter! It would be a sad day to think people could no longer enjoy the magical world of Harry Potter. The future must be able to enjoy Harry Potter! Please think of the children of the future!
I have three individual books to nominate (for starters...)
the Messenger by Markus Zusak
the Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
&
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Hyperion and Endymion series by Dan Simmons (not PG - awesome sci-fi)
Out of My Mind - Sharon M. Draper
I don't know how I lived before reading that book... it just makes you look at everything differently.
The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde! We all need a little whimsy in our lives, and a series of books that references other books by jumping into them ... WIN!
We have had some great suggestions, and there is one week left for any nominations, and then I shall call a vote. In addition to that, I want to know if everyone is interested in continuing this (but with different scenarios, ever so often), so let me know.
Thanks for all your nominations!
This would be fun to continue! Even if it is just me and Daniel, IT WILL CONTINUE!
I like Dargafleas' suggestions of Hyperion and Endymion - I could be down with that. They have tragedy, comedy, politics, science, poetry, romance, the complexity of human relationship... Not so sure about Oberchrons or Harry Potter. They both present the world in simple terms of good and evil. If we're preserving only one book it should have shades of grey. So out of the current nominations I would vote for Hyperion/Endymion.
I would also suggest Dickens' David Copperfield and Gaiman's American Gods, as suitable, but it's really too hard to choose. I would have difficultly choosing one book publsihed this year to survive, let alone throughout all of history.
OML, Lol - finally someone else that appreciated Dan Simmons!!! [act]flails in happiness[/act] I'm going to vote for my choice as well, because Lol's right - there are so many subplots, and so much richness to his writing. Every time I read these books I get more out of them.
Even I forgot about this thread for a bit, and it was 12 days instead of 7. But anyway, we now have 11 book nominations, which is excellent! Now I guess we should vote (which may be flawed since we all think our own nominations (possibly, not necessarily) are good and should be voted for), but anyway, we have at least 2 weeks, maybe more, depending on when I decide, to vote and choose a book that shall be the only book allowed to remain.
The Nominations:
Obernewtyn Chronicles - Isobelle Carmody
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
The Messenger by Markus Zusak
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Hyperion and Endymion series by Dan Simmons (which already has 2 votes by Darga, and Lol, thanks to you both, I will have to check out this series)
Out of My Mind - Sharon M. Draper
The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Also, thanks Vestie for your keen enthusiasm for this thread!
I liked the ending of the second Endymion the most, though. It just wrapped everything that happened in the first three so nicely. But yes, the first Hyperion is the ultimate for me.
Can I suggest Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Black Foxes by Sonya Hartnett?
I could not bear to be without Black Foxes, by Sonya Hartnett, and it pains me to know that it is the only one of my books that ever went missing. I have been searching for this book everywhere! It sounds crazy, but my life just isn't complete without this book.
How can you expect me to choose? Forget picking which book, lets work on bringing down the stupid leaders who would suggest such a thing!
If I had to choose it would probably be "Lord of the Rings" but that means all the books about middle-earth because thats all part of one series right??
Probelm is next week I would choose something else so going to have to stick with not letting it happen!
(is anyone else reminded of the banning of beforetime books in Ober chron?)
Yes. Daniel is secretly warning us a government plot to send Earth into a Great White :nods: She is preparing us for the choices we will have to make :nods:
HOW AM I MEANT TO CHOOSE!?!?! AAAAHHHH! I don't know... ummm... maybe.... The Book Thief? Or Oberchron...? Well, I'll go with The Book Thief (just finished reading it :D). WHY IS IT SO HARD TO CHOOSE!?!?
